Green Bay women's basketball head coach Matt Bollant named Coach of the Year

GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – With the best season in the history of Green Bay women’s basketball now in the books, awards continue to come head coach Matt Bollant’s way as he was recently presented with the Kay Yow Coach of the Year Award and WBCA Division I Coach of the Year Award.

“It’s humbling to receive this honor,” said Bollant. “We start by recruiting great kids who are a reflection of our amazing staff. Our players play the game the way it’s meant to be played and that’s one of the greatest compliments we receive from people all across the country.”

The Kay Yow Award was established last year to honor the Division I women’s head coach who embodies not only a winning spirit but who also displays great character both on and off the court. Bollant was selected from a nationwide list of 10 coaches.

“I got a chance to meet Kay and I absolutely love the fact her faith was important to her,” Bollant said. “To see her fight and perseverance, the things that matter in coaching, along with her faith is something I hope I can do and do well.”

This season Bollant led the No. 11/9 Green Bay women’s basketball team to a program-best 34 wins and its first NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance. For the second time under four-year head coach Matt Bollant, the Phoenix went 18-0 in Horizon League play, winning its 13th-consecutive regular season title. In addition, for the third time during his tenure at Green Bay, Bollant was named the Horizon League Coach of the Year.

Yow was a coaching legend who led NC State to 737 wins during her 34 seasons. In addition, Yow ledgold medal winners at the 1981 World University Games, the 1986 Goodwill Games, 1986 World Championship Games and the 1988 Olympic Games.

2011 KAY YOW AWARD FINALISTS
Matt Bollant – Green Bay
Nikki Caldwell – UCLA
Tonya Cardoza – Temple
Terri Flournoy – Georgetown
Brian Giorgis – Marist
Kelly Grave – Gonzaga
Katie Meier – Miami
Kevin McGuff – Xavier
Karl Smesko – Florida Gulf Coast
Tonya Warren – Northern Iowa

KAY YOW AWARD SELECTION COMMITTEE
Debbie Antonelli – College Basketball Analyst
Gary Blair – Texas A&M University
Pam Borton – Minnesota
Joanne Boyle – California Berkley
Nikki Caldwell – UCLA
Kristy Curry – Texas Tech University
Lin Dunn – Indiana Fever
Joe Dwyer – CollegeInsider.com
Stephanie Glance – Tennessee
Shimmy Gray – Saint Louis University
Dru Hancock – Big 12 Conference
Dan Hughes – San Antonio Silver Stars
Wendy Larry – Old Dominion
Angela Lento – CollegeInsider.com
Joe McKeown – Northwestern University
Cristy McKinney – Clemson
Dr. M. Dianne Murphy – Columbia University
Carolyn Peck – ESPN
Debbie Ryan – University of Virginia
Marsha Sharp – Kay Yow/WBCA Fund
Dawn Staley – University of South Carolina
Dee Stokes – CollegeInsider.com
Holly Warlick – Tennessee
Debbie Yow – NC State
Ronnie Yow – Kay Yow/WBCA Fund
Susan Yow – Belmont Abbey College

WBCA Coach of the Year… For the third-consecutive season, Bollant has been recognized by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) as the Division I Coach of the Year. Bollant will be presented the award at the 2010 WBCA Hall of Fame banquet.

The WBCA is comprised of over 3,200 members who coach at the high school or collegiate level.

Courtesy of Jill Wunrow, Green Bay Sports Information